We had two offside goals that VAR would have stopped BUT we also had two nailed on penalties that VAR would have given us.

I really enjoyed just going with the on field officials and celebrating the moment in the game without having to wait for the re-refereeing of everything.   

No.
Lawrence Thomas in.

The last sentence is very true.

Players feel comfortable in different  club scenarios.

Goodwin is an extremely intelligent player. I can't  remember  us ever having such an intelligent winger?  He doesn't have the ability to dribble past and run at defenders like  Mabil, Boyle, Arzani ( a few years ago), Kuol, etc. Although I saw him pull off  superb inside cut, to completely wrongfoot a defender.  Maybe he is more judicious about the best time to run at defenders? He prefers passing and moving in attacking interplay. 

Where he  excels is his  penalty  box positioning, composure in shooting, superb crossing, free kick taking and working in cohesive contentions, particularly with Duke, and in this game, Irvine as an Attacking Mid, plus Behich. They have a terrific  understanding. 

I can't get over how much Goodwin has improved around the age of 30? Most players start declining at this age. Or is it a question of  seamlessly lifting  his game to another level with higher calibre players in the Socceroo line up than he has played with  in club football?

  Moreover ,  Goodwin is a really decent defensive winger when the other team has the ball. I think Goodwin has played as left back at club level, which helps his tracking back  and defensive  running, tackling, delaying, jockeying, showing - and shielding . ATM  IMO he is the best winger we have. I think the other players lift with Goodwin on the pitch. Along with Cahill (2006 and 2014) and Holman (2010), he is the only Socceroo to score 2 goals in the  same World Cup comp.

ATM Goodwin would be a good Socceroo captain. A few mates think a couple of our recent captains aren't articulate enough. Goodwin definitely is! 

I watched the replay of Friday's Ecuador v Aus with a number  of current and former  senior NPL players I've coached. All of us agreed that Hrustic is, sadly, quite a dumb player, who makes a lot  of poor  decisions, and makes slow, wrong decisions. At the same time Hrustic is one of our most skilful players with the ball at his feet. 

After Irvine excelled in his  first game as Attacking Mid, or Ten, for most of the game, and O'Neill's superb  display  as the number 6, who screens the defence, and who can also compensate for Mooy's weakness getting to loose ball contests, and lack of nimbleness - Hrustic goes way down the pecking order  as number Ten after Irvine, (even the classy glimpses we saw of Robertson's cameo), Rogic and the ever improving McGree. 

Hrustic is also a lazy defender when the other team has the ball. He will struggle to be selected if all players are fit.

O'Neill is a superior DM , 6, or midfield screener, better than anyone else we have ATM. This enables Irvine to play in a more advanced position. I just hope O'Neill  does not inexplicably fade out.

I watched the replay of Friday's Ecuador v Aus with a number  of current and former  senior NPL players I've coached. All of us agreed that Hrustic is, sadly, quite a dumb player, who makes a lot  of poor  decisions, and makes slow, wrong decisions. At the same time Hrustic is one of our most skilful players with the ball at his feet. 

After Irvine excelled in his  first game as Attacking Mid, or Ten, for most of the game, and O'Neill's superb  display  as the number 6, who screens the defence, and who can also compensate for Mooy's weakness getting to loose ball contests, and lack of nimbleness - Hrustic goes way down the pecking order  as number Ten after Irvine, (even the classy glimpses we saw of Robertson's cameo), Rogic and the ever improving McGree. 

Hrustic is also a lazy defender when the other team has the ball. He will struggle to be selected if all players are fit.

O'Neill is a superior DM , 6, or midfield screener, better than anyone else we have ATM. This enables Irvine to play in a more advanced position. I just hope O'Neill  does not inexplicably fade out.

So glad people are finally seeing this.

going with people from overseas and kids from our club tomorrow...hoping the side isn't too drastically different and experimental as would love the boys to put on another great show.

We go again. Time for a bit of rotation

                         Gauci
      Strain  Deng  Rowles Bos
                     O'Neill
                  Devlin
         Metcalfe McGree  Goodwin
                    Cummings

I'd like to see the defence have a run without Souttar. Lord knows we had it a lot in qualifying but test it here again.
Let Devlin have a go at the Baccus role. McGree can roam where he wants and Metcalfe can also shift accordingly. I'd anticipate Strain to overlap a lot more unlike Degenek. Goodwin for set plays and Cummings just to try someone else. Borrello on when they're a bit tired.

McGree gets listed as a 10 every week at Boro but definitely roams as he wishes.

Grrrrrrr hate to admit it but put me in that camp as well... Arnie is doing a top notch job as NT Gaffer.....  Seems to be a better "man manager" than outright tactician in my opinion but he HAS blooded some youth and is pragmatic in how he sets the squad up now. (Really like the young kid from City, silky touch and seems to have the right amount of mongrel in him) but also the way the team seems to really want to play for the shirt and each other.... something sorely missing these past few years.....  Sorry Arnie, we trust you now..... go get us some silverware would ya bloke?

I watched the replay of Friday's Ecuador v Aus with a number  of current and former  senior NPL players I've coached. All of us agreed that Hrustic is, sadly, quite a dumb player, who makes a lot  of poor  decisions, and makes slow, wrong decisions. At the same time Hrustic is one of our most skilful players with the ball at his feet. 

After Irvine excelled in his  first game as Attacking Mid, or Ten, for most of the game, and O'Neill's superb  display  as the number 6, who screens the defence, and who can also compensate for Mooy's weakness getting to loose ball contests, and lack of nimbleness - Hrustic goes way down the pecking order  as number Ten after Irvine, (even the classy glimpses we saw of Robertson's cameo), Rogic and the ever improving McGree. 

Hrustic is also a lazy defender when the other team has the ball. He will struggle to be selected if all players are fit.

O'Neill is a superior DM , 6, or midfield screener, better than anyone else we have ATM. This enables Irvine to play in a more advanced position. I just hope O'Neill  does not inexplicably fade out.

While Irvine was wonderful in his role as the attacking midfieder or No 10, like Cahill, he plays like Cahill, there is not a lot of creativity, industrial yes, lots of running & getting in the right positions, but he aint creating a lot, without Mooy, Hrustic, there was little creativity coming from our midfield 3 until Robertson came on.
Irvine is a running no 8, but not a no 10.

I think Arnie has handled the blending of young players very well thus far.

Playing with too much inexperience on the park at the same time isn’t going to give these younger guys the best chance to impress, and the overall team may suffer.

Have a bit of faith in Arnie’s reasoning. He’s earned it. 

Bresciano played as a winger for many yrs with us until being shifted inside to number 10 after his pace and agility declined. Also Chipperfield was a highly highly intelligent winger til late 2005 when Gus shifted him to Lb. Kewell also. 

We've had a few 

Grrrrrrr hate to admit it but put me in that camp as well... Arnie is doing a top notch job as NT Gaffer.....  Seems to be a better "man manager" than outright tactician in my opinion but he HAS blooded some youth and is pragmatic in how he sets the squad up now. (Really like the young kid from City, silky touch and seems to have the right amount of mongrel in him) but also the way the team seems to really want to play for the shirt and each other.... something sorely missing these past few years.....  Sorry Arnie, we trust you now..... go get us some silverware would ya bloke?

So Souttar is out with an ankle knock. 
However I am pissed off, Bailey Wright is going to replace him not Thomas Deng. What a waste of an opportunity to see where Deng is at, we know what Wright can do so him playing is pointless.

Just got back from Commbank stadium from the Socceroos V Ecuador game, good result against a decent South American team. 

While Irvine was wonderful in his role as the attacking midfieder or No 10, like Cahill, he plays like Cahill, there is not a lot of creativity, industrial yes, lots of running & getting in the right positions, but he aint creating a lot, without Mooy, Hrustic, there was little creativity coming from our midfield 3 until Robertson came on.
Irvine is a running no 8, but not a no 10.

Arnie has done well but people forget who is seated next to him. I think Rene has done very well also and is clearly able to help identify who he thinks will work in camp and also providing some tactical guidance to Arnie. I am glad he also signed on for another cycle. 

Don't mind the personnel. but I am not expecting O'neill to start again. 

Some pretty harsh comments on Mabil in here. 

He was fantastic for a player that hasn't been a regular starter for 3+ years. He needs consistent club football.

I have no doubt if he played week in week out at club level he'd be one of our best players. 

I respectfully disagree, Robbos. 

For the first time I can remember, Irvine showed what he can do as a Ten, or Attacking Mid.

Given the emergence of O'Neill, a classic midfield screener, Irvine showed his late runs and penalty box predation  are more  valuable to the team than having him playing a deeper role, or more of a box to box midfielder.

There was some terrific combination play amongst Irvine, Duke and Goodwin, plus Behich  too - on a number of occasions. These guys have some nice synergy.

 Guys  like Leckie, Mabil and Hrustic, even Rogic, never really combine as cohesively with fellow attacking players.

 Has Meulensteen ever been a head senior coach?

I thought he had been more of a development coach? Man U Academy have seen excellent training ground exercises that may have been devised by him.

His team up with Arnie could be very significant as a combination, a bit like Clough/Taylor.

Aus struggled against Saudi and Japan without Arnie though.  

I was aware of this when I made the comment, but Bresciano played more as  a left sided midfielder, in  a 4-2-3-1, than a wide winger. 

 Bresc  didn't play like Emo  or Kewell  in that era either. Or the likes of Boyle, Mabil now. Bresc didn't  take players on  and try and beat them.  

I respectfully disagree, Robbos. 

For the first time I can remember, Irvine showed what he can do as a Ten, or Attacking Mid.

Given the emergence of O'Neill, a classic midfield screener, Irvine showed his late runs and penalty box predation  are more  valuable to the team than having him playing a deeper role, or more of a box to box midfielder.

There was some terrific combination play amongst Irvine, Duke and Goodwin, plus Behich  too - on a number of occasions. These guys have some nice synergy.

 Guys  like Leckie, Mabil and Hrustic, even Rogic, never really combine as cohesively with fellow attacking players.